Entire GoDaddy account repossessed!

[LordMomo]

Hi everyone,

Really in need of some help here...
So I changed payment methods about a week ago at GoDaddy. A day or two later I got an email from their Verification Office requesting that I submit some additional documents:
ID, Bank Statement showing latest transaction, Back and Front of card.

I did so.

Since I received that first email, my account has been locked. I get an update a few hours ago (after submitted all documents) saying that my account has been reviewed and is not eligible to be unlocked.

Around the same time I see the WHOIS on my domains being updated to [email protected] and I have still been locked out of my account.

In all honesty, I have done nothing wrong, and I am unable to speak to someone regarding the reinstatement (I only get computerized responses and the Call center can do nothing).

Does anyone know what I can do as I have spent a lot of money on some of the domains in that account (it is my primary account)?

I would really appreciate any advice.

Momo

 

[Name Trader]

This is getting really scary.

Can anyone please advise whether it is sensible to start moving our domains away from Godaddy as a result of this thread?

Would really like to know as a lot of us have spent lots of money on domains and the thought that Godaddy can close accounts of anyone at anytime even if they are innocent of any wrong doing is frightening.

Yes it's sensible. I'd say urgent. Of course, these are only precautions. After all it's only 1/10th of 1% of domains in this state. Do you want to be one of those stats?

I did nothing wrong at all. I was aware of this possibility when I specifically asked my GoDaddy Account Manager. When he said it was OK. I changed my Account Name from person to company. It only came to light after my credit card expired and I have to put in my new card number. The issuer etc remained the same. Whammo! I was very nearly one of those stats, and I tried to do everything correctly.

Not only very nearly. I was resigned to it already. Just like the OP.

 

[LucidDomains]

I always transfer out of GoDaddy because of stories like these. I made a decision a year and half ago to pick NameSilo as my go to registry.

 

[Name Trader]

Replied to the wrong post. See below.

 

[Name Trader]

https://postimg.org/image/f58ezxcsv/

^^this is the reason that I gave up on trying to get back my domains and instead decided to salvage as much money spent in the last 3 months as possible.

That is their response after I explained the entire situation with all documents resent. I also asked them again for the reason why my account is locked.

Exactly what I have been saying. They don't even try to resolve the issue. They just make a decision. No discussion or appeal. Really appalling. I don't trust GoDaddy to look after my domains. They are only at GoDaddy until the transfer lock is released.

 

[Name Trader]

Add to my last post because I cannot edit it any more.

And they never even had any financial losses. It's amazing they can be so flippant and arbitrary about somebody's livelihood.

 

[E-Promote]

Lol, yeah oh Bob is no longer CEO but at the time of the shooting he was CEO. Him actually trying to justify his actions with a BS story was even worse.

haahah yeah, it seems u are right...we are the Elephants these days.

There are actually a few elephants left, but now they have to contend with ultra douchebags like Donald Jr

 

[ivey]

This is some scary stuff to hear...I hope you get everything sorted out.

 

[ivey]

I've used cards not belonging to me with no issues.. Maybe it's an issue if you set up the card as your account/main payment method. In that case,I guess the card must have your name on it.

 

[MasterOfMyDomains]

Very strange, and worrisome. I checked the whois on one of your names you have listed here and saw the repossessed by godaddy.
Repossessed by Go Daddy is associated with ~148,519 other domains
Try not to worry to much @Joe Styler may have some answers.

I see the Repossessed by godaddy stat when i search one of the names in your signature is unchanged at 148,519

So none have been deleted from their system or repossessed recently.
Truly sorry you have to deal with this, I have zero names at godaddy and will never register another name their again.
Can't wait to hear @Joe Styler explanation.
If posted earlier I missed it, but any other registrar repossess names?

 

[CarpeDiem]

On July 12, 2011, an article in The Register reported that, shortly after Bob Parsons' sale of GoDaddy, the company purchased gripe site No Daddy. The site had returned a top 5 result on Google for a search for GoDaddy.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GoDaddy

Minimal due diligence (wikipedia) would keep a sane person from that steaming pile of a registrar.

 

[carob]

Parsons is not the CEO any more. But maybe the culture lives on. Only it's Domain Owners that are the one's being shot nowadays. The elephants are saved

No one is allowed to interact with the Fraud Department. Why? They also shot the Fraud department and replaced them with an algorithm. They bought it from a startup called Skynet Systems. The problems are just beginning...

 

[ewallhost]

Try Transfer away domains from them, they should allow you to do it.

 

[Domains - Wanted]

Try Transfer away domains from them, they should allow you to do it.

That's a no-brainer, assuming you can get hold of transfer codes from a locked account...?

 

[carob]

That's assuming you can get hold of transfer codes from a locked account ??

You don't need access to the account as long as your name is in the WHOIS - then you just contact the registrar quoting ICANN rules and they are required to unlock the domain and provide authcodes.

This works, but it seems here Godaddy have now put themselves as the owner in the WHOIS I think - can the OP confirm that whois change?

If your business domain now said Repossessed by Godaddy people might think you were involved in debt or fraud or crime - so Godaddy might be both stealing a name and libeling the owner as well as taking away their website and email. Damages could be sought.

 

[ewallhost]

Yes, They should share the code, if the client no longer wants to have service from them.

 

[ewallhost]

Also, they don't have any rights to change the owner information on whois data. They can only change nameservers to stop the web publish

 

[Domains - Wanted]

You don't need access to the account as long as your name is in the WHOIS - then you just contact the registrar quoting ICANN rules and they are required to unlock the domain and provide authcodes.

This works, but it seems here Godaddy have now put themselves as the owner in the WHOIS I think - can the OP confirm that whois change?

Class action aside, going against an arrogant domain registrar, or a major bank for that matter, you'll always lose!
Been there, done that. Life's too short for the hassle, not to mention the pain of losing your babies... er, domains!

Lets all learn from this, brand GoDaddy an untrustworthy and domainer unfriendly registrar and stay away from them. Use them when you must, then transfer-out your domains away from GoDaddy post haste. It's as simple as that! Failing that, don't come around crying when you wind up on the receiving end of this yourself!

My condolences to OP and all others like him and thanks for this eye opening thread! Whatever the provocation and TOS small print forced on registrants, this amounts to outright theft on a major scale.

 

[carob]

Class action aside, going against an arrogant domain registrar, or a major bank for that matter, you'll always lose!

You need to read the ICANN rules and quote them to Godaddy. If they do not give you the domains that have your name in the whois they are breaking ICANN rules and risk losing ICANN accreditation, which would be a disaster for their business.
https://www.icann.org/resources/pages/transfer-policy-2015-09-24-en

I have seen this work on a very reluctant registrar - at first the staff lied and said you cannot do that, then when threatened with a complaint to ICANN they complied.

3.9 Instances when the requested change of Registrar may not be denied include, but are not limited to:

3.9.1 Nonpayment for a pending or future registration period.

3.9.2 No response from the Registered Name Holder or Administrative Contact.

3.9.3 Domain name in Registrar Lock Status, unless the Registered Name Holder is provided with the reasonable opportunity and ability to unlock the domain name prior to the Transfer Request.

3.9.4 Domain name registration period time constraints, other than during the first 60 days of initial registration or during the first 60 days after a registrar transfer.

3.9.5 General payment defaults between Registrar and business partners / affiliates in cases where the Registered Name Holder for the domain in question has paid for the registration.

This point keeps coming up on here, maybe NP needs an FAQ section.

 

[Nerevar]

Update:
Started a credit card dispute as the goods bought were not delivered. Bank assures me that most funds spent in last 3 months will be recovered.

I might be wrong, but IMHO this credit card dispute reinforces GoDaddy's faulty understanding of the situation that the funds used were never yours and the card owner now wants them back, all of them.

 

[LordMomo]

I might be wrong, but IMHO this credit card dispute reinforces GoDaddy's faulty understanding of the situation that the funds used were never yours and the card owner now wants them back, all of them.

I started the disputes only after receiving their email stating that my account will "never be eligible for unlocking". Salvaging what I can...

 

[Kenny]

I started the disputes only after receiving their email stating that my account will "never be eligible for unlocking". Salvaging what I can...

Was that in an email as well or just in that chatbox you posted?

I still believe you should have waited the extra days until the GD rep made it back from NamesCon and could look into your problem, but as stu mentioned, starting the chargeback may have put the kibosh on getting your domains unlocked.(which I thought was the intention in the first place)

Again, Good Luck.

Peace,
Cyberian

Edit:
@Joe Styler was last seen: Yesterday at 9:56PM pst
So I'm guessing, along with his other duties and dramas, he'll be looking into this one asap.

 

[DomainZombie]

very interesting case. there is something very very wrong here

 

[Nerevar]

GoDaddy staff should not say that the account "is permanently locked and never be eligible for reistatement". Especially when the problem is with one single sale, while the account holds lots of domains that are not questioned. They really need to change the process of making desicions and not give that much power to staff. In fact, confiscating customer's property may be illegal, whatever their policy says. There are state laws, especially criminal laws, but also consumer protection laws, that might be above user policy. For example, a bank might get you sign crazy conditions of service, but then the regulator comes and fines the bank, and nullifies the unreasonable contract that contraticts property laws.

 

[Name Trader]

You don't need access to the account as long as your name is in the WHOIS - then you just contact the registrar quoting ICANN rules and they are required to unlock the domain and provide authcodes.

This works, but it seems here Godaddy have now put themselves as the owner in the WHOIS I think - can the OP confirm that whois change?

If your business domain now said Repossessed by Godaddy people might think you were involved in debt or fraud or crime - so Godaddy might be both stealing a name and libeling the owner as well as taking away their website and email. Damages could be sought.

Their refusal to give the OP his domains back, clearly states, they are not stating anything which might malign his name or status Go figure how they are not doing just that

 

[Name Trader]

very interesting case. there is something very very wrong here

Agreed!